Nebraska Approves its First Hemp Testing Lab
A university-owned lab company has become the first hemp testing facility to be approved by state authorities in Nebraska.
Cannabis Testing Laboratories (CTL), which received ISO-certification in early July, was later added to Nebraska’s Department of Agriculture’s list of approved hemp testing facilities.
Midwestern hemp
Based out of Doane University, Crete, CTL will primarily act as a commercial testing lab for Nebraskan hemp farmers and CBD producers.
“Being the first ISO-accredited and state approved cannabis testing laboratory in Nebraska will allow farmers, processors, vendors, and even consumers of CBD and hemp products to have local access to high-quality and reliable testing”, Andrea Holmes, a professor of chemistry at Doane University and head of the CTL, said in a statement.
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture waived DEA approval for labs in 2020, but still mandates ISO certification. So, following a site visit and audit by Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation in late June, the CTL received its ISO 17025 certification on July 8, becoming the first lab in Nebraska to do so.
“For farmers, continuous testing is of utmost importance, so they don’t grow hemp over 0.3 percent total THC levels, at which point hemp is categorized as marijuana, which is currently illegal in Nebraska,” Holmes added.
“Consumers of CBD products will also benefit from private testing as oftentimes CBD-infused products don’t actually contain what the label says.”
But in addition to its commercial capacity, the lab will act as an educational resource for Doane students.
“This lab will also serve as an excellent resource for our students and faculty who are interested in learning more about this rapidly growing industry,” Dr Jacque Carter, Doane University’s president, said in a statement.
Last August, the university launched its first cannabis certificate program, a series of three online courses catered to students interested in the cannabis industry.
Hemp farming was legalized in Nebraska on the state level last May. Since then, over 80 state farmers have been licensed to grow the cannabis crop.
